How did you first find out about bariatric surgery and what were your initial impressions of it?

Originally a girlfriend of mine told me about it. At the time I was on a diet that seemed to be working for me. It was similar to the Atkins diet, and I insisted to her that this was going to finally be the time I lost all the weight! I had heard about stomach stapling years before, and I knew a gal who knew a gal who had it done, but of course, she had gained all the weight back. Seemed a little extreme to me if you were just going to end up in the same place. But then, when I was at my lowest (having gained back all the weight from the Atkins type diet, plus another 50 or so) I got pissed and went to my doctor and told him that Kaiser must find a way to help me lose weight or they were going to get stuck with a diabetic in a few years. The doctor told me to consider the surgery, so I started doing the research. I found this site plus a few others and really learned what could be gained from the surgery.

Describe your experience with getting insurance approval for surgery. What advice, if any, do you have for other people in this stage?

I really did not have any problems getting my approval. My BMI was 72. Not sure I can offer any advice.

What was your first visit with your surgeon like? How can people get the most out of this meeting?

My first visit with my surgeon was brief. I really had learned the bulk of the information I needed from attending case management meetings through Kaiser. He basically explained the procedure again, told me I was a perfect candidate, asked me to lose some more weight and sent me on my way. With the No.Cal. Kaiser program, you really know so much about the process even before seeing the surgeon, that the meeting with the surgeon is anti-climatic.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was desperate! 501 lbs at the young age of 37. I am pretty sure my chances of living a long life were nil!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Kaiser doesn't offer you a choice. Their research showed that the best results come with the Roux-n-y procedure, so that is the one they use.

What fears did you have about having complications or even dying from from the surgery, and what would you tell other people having the same fears now?

I will admit that I worried about leaving my kids without a mother! I tend to be optimistic, and I don't think I really believed anything bad could happen to me anyway. I think my best advice would be to tell people not to dwell on the negative. Know that what you are doing is going to save your life, and the better your attitude is going in, the better your chances are of coming out without complications. Even if you end up with complications, a good attitude will see you through them easier than a bad attitude.

How did your family and friends react to your decision? Would you have communicated anything differently if you could now? How supportive were they after your surgery?

My family and friends were extremely supportive. I think they all knew how desperate I was becoming. They were all so worried about my weight! I still don't think my Husband realized how drastic a change there was going to be in my eating habits. He does still try to feed me. My middle son was very concerned that this surgery was going to change me, and that I wouldn't be the same person. I tried to reassure him that I would be the same mommy, just a little smaller. It would have been nice if there was a support group for him to attend so he could have learned from other children the benefits of mom feeling better. He's ok now, but it was tough going for a few months before the surgery.

How did your employer/supervisor react to your decision? What did you tell him/her? How long were you out of work?

My boss and everyone else in the company were very supportive as well. I was only out of work for about three weeks. I work at a desk so its not real physical. Again, as with my family, everyone at work understood how desperately I needed to lose the weight. If anyone felt I was taking the wussy way out, they certainly never communicated it to me!

What was your stay in the hospital like? How long where you there? What things are most important to bring?

My stay in the hospital was a blur of sleeping, walking and visiting with family and friends. I was there for 3 1/2 days. In on Thursday for the surgery and out midday on Sunday. I can't think of anything that was particularly useful to bring with me. The hospital provided absolutely everything I felt I needed.

Did you have any complications from the surgery? If so, how did you deal with them?

I did not have any complications.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

I hit a spot about three weeks out where I was extremely depressed. Not matter how much you read about the eating changes, they can't prepare you for the actual changes. I was angry that I couldn't eat what I wanted, I was still in some pain, and I had absolutely no energy yet. I remember crying on my husbands shoulder one night, asking him why he let me do this to myself... bless his heart!

Describe your first few weeks home from the hospital. What should people expect from this period?

The worst part of the weeks following the surgery are your complete lack of energy. Even if you went into the surgery feeling better than you had in a long time, you don't feel that way after. Its hard! But, the good news is that it does end. Even though it may be the longest 6-8 weeks of your life, when the energy comes back, it comes back with a vengeance!!!

How far did you travel to have your surgery? (If far, how did this affect your aftercare?)

The hospital was about 60 miles from my home. It didn't really affect my aftercare significantly because I didn't have any complications. The worst thing about the 60 miles, was the drive home from the hospital! That was painful!!!

Please describe in detail what things you could and couldn't eat in the weeks and months following surgery. What foods have been off limits? Please explain how your dietary tolerance changed week-by-week, and then month-by-month since surgery.

My taste in a few items has changed. I won't eat bread now because it tastes terrible after having been chewed to mush. I can handle chicken and steak, but I have some problems with hamburger, and I can't eat pork at all. (Maybe a little bacon now and then, but not like before!) I eat a lot of eggs and cheese! I couldn't eat crackers for the first 3 to 4 months, they made me a little nauseous, but now I can eat them ok. I still don't eat them much, because like bread, they don't taste that good after having been chewed a lot. One of the best things, is that I don't really care for fast food anymore. The hamburgers have buns (hate bread!) and the chicken nuggets don't go down that well. I do have problems now, because I get so bored with the limited items I can eat. No pasta, no bread, no pork. I never liked fish before, and definitely can't stand it now. Doesn't leave much but eggs and chicken (who can afford to eat steak 7 or more times a week!!)

What was your actvity level in the days and weeks after surgery?

I had absolutely no energy for 8 weeks after surgery. I started working out at about 6 weeks out, and then BOOM, at about 8 weeks, I got all my energy back plus more!

What vitamins and/or dietary supplements have you taken since your surgery?

I take a multi-vitamin once a day and a 2000mcg b-12 tablet sublingually once a week.

What side effects (nausea, vomiting, sleep disturbace, dumping, hair loss etc.) were worse for you? For how long after surgery did they persist? How did you cope with them?

Right after surgery, the nausea was the worst. Once I worked my way through that (at about 8 weeks) the next worse thing was the hair loss. It started falling out at about 2 months, and only slowed down at about the 6 month mark. I cut my hair real short to hide how much hair I was really losing.

What was the worst part about the entire bariatric surgery process?

The surgery itself was bad.... the pain during recovery. But, I think the absolute worst part is the mental aspect. I miss food... I miss being able to eat whatever I want. This has been the hardest thing for me to cope with since the surgery!

What aftercare support group/program do you have? How helpful/important is this?

I have several ways of getting support. Kaiser offers a monthly support group, and suggests that you attend for at least a year after the surgery. I also attend an informal monthly support group, close to my home. My best form of support, however, is an online Yahoo group. Its made up almost exclusively by No.Cal Kaiser patients, so we can help each other through the approval process and the wait for surgery, and we all had the surgery with the same group of doctors, so we know how things work. The group includes people who are just starting out as well as people who are 2-3 years out from surgery and everyone in between. There is almost daily a conversation about something that directly effects your situation, and it is nice to know that others have the same problems/triumphs that you have!

What is your scar like? Is this what you expected?

My scar is about 12 inches long. The top of the scar is thick and about 1/2 inch wide. The bottom is much thinner and already is fading out quite a bit (at 6 mos out) The staple scars are fading as well. I didn't know what to expect, but I could care less... to me it is a badge of courage!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

About 5 weeks out from surgery I hit my first plateau, which lasted 3 weeks... it was very depressing, especially since I knew I wasn't doing anything wrong at the time. I have made it a point not to weigh more than once or twice a month since then.. This way, if I do hit a plateau, I may not even notice it.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Most definitely. I don't get stared at when I am out in public, as I am now down to a normal fat person size (not hugely obese like I was before) The CEO of my company actually spends time talking to me now, where he virtually ignored me before surgery.